


Speak Up, Fall Slowly

by galaxyprince



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: M/M, i will add the character tags as they show up probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-27 07:28:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8392609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galaxyprince/pseuds/galaxyprince
Summary: Collin Lerone is a smooth talking, cap swindling, gun toting guy who just so happens to be one of the most charming men in the Commonwealth and the General of the Minutemen. He can charm just about anyone off their feet, gaining him some company for the long nights and some extra caps to line his pockets, and he can do it easy. However, when he meets the merc MacCready, his bright eyes and flirtatious personality drain him of 175 caps to a man who won't fall for his sweet talk. After striking a deal, Collin decides he would like to have more from Mac, something he hasn't thought about seriously since waking up in Vault 111.





	1. Routine Broken

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So y'all are probably waiting for an update to my other fic, and I promise you it WILL happen, it's in the works. That fic is much longer per chapter so it's taking me a bit more to write in between all my other stuff going on. BUT HAVE NO FEAR because here is something I've started a long time ago, featuring my second sole and the one and only MacCready. I thought it would be fun to start writing out their meeting and adventures as well. So, without further ado, here is my second fic with my other faves.

No matter how hard Collin scrubbed, the grime and dust wouldn’t come out from the glasses he had perched on his nose. He still wasn’t used to wearing something that wasn’t exactly his prescription; though he would take anything at this point. Who knew that 200 years of cryogenic induced sleep would dry out contacts? 

He rubbed at the glass again as he sat at a barstool of the Third Rail. Goodneighbor was small, not exactly quiet, but homely. He could definitely swindle some caps out of the poor saps here. He was attractive, that much he knew, with a small freckled nose and bright green almond eyes, his chestnut hair slicked back with a few strands falling over his forehead. And if his looks weren’t enough, he was charming, able to sweet talk his way into more caps with ease. Flirting was easy enough, bedding someone for the night was easier. 

Being a nice guy was hard, but pretending to be a nice guy was easy. He slipped his glasses back on his face and pocketed his handkerchief. Raising an eyebrow, he plastered a shit-eating grin on his lips and sidled over to a young ghoul girl who was perched at the bar. “Hey, sugar-pop,” He said warmly, his eyes cataloguing her every move. He had to be able to read her for his advances to work. 

“Hello,” She turned, her ghoulish skin separating at the corner of her lips as she smiled. “What can I do for you, outsider?”

“What gave me away?” Collin laughed a little, playing along with her line of questioning.

“Not many folks around here. I would recognize a fella like you from a mile away with those glasses if I had seen you before,” She nodded to his glasses, her dark eyes trying to pick apart Collin’s persona. He just grinned. 

“So, what’s an outsider got to do to earn some work around here?” He asked, signaling for Whitechapel to top off their drinks. 

“Look, smooth talker, my significant other is supposed to meet me here, and if they see you bein’ all sweet with me it won’t end well for you. So I can point you in the way of work, but you won’t get nothin’ from me,” 

“Fair,” Collin nodded, holding up his hands in surrender, “Go ahead and keep the drink, though, my treat,” He shrugged.

“Smooth and honest. We might just get along, dear,” She swirled the paper umbrella around the rim of the cup. “See that back room over there? There’s a man in there, name’s MacCready. He don’t do much in the way of givin’ work, but he takes work something fierce. Go ahead and stick around him for a while and you may find yourself a healthy payin’ job,” She nodded in the direction of the room this guy MacCready was in. Collin thanked her and sauntered off down the hall, whistling an old tune from before the war. 

As he drew closer, he heard voices coming from the room. Two of them sounded like they meant business, and didn’t intend to leave without someone’s head on a stick. Collin shifted the safety off on his gun, and peeked around the corner carefully. Two rather large men were standing with their backs to the door, cornering a smaller guy who had his arms crossed and intended to stand his ground no matter what. Surely that wasn’t the guy… He was… underwhelming. Collin debated stepping in, his “good-guy” instincts telling him he should at least try and save the guy. 

He clicked the safety on again and stepped into the room. MacCready’s eyes shifted in his direction for a brief moment, but they didn’t beg for help. They didn’t give Collin anything to read. He froze. This guy was like a rock, no telling emotions or weaknesses that Collin could exploit. This was going to be interesting for sure. The two brawlers spat in MacCready’s direction and then made their way out of the room, pushing past Collin forcefully. Collin debated popping one in the back of each of their skulls, and then decided it wasn’t worth the bullets.

“So,” MacCready spoke up, his voice light yet demanding. “Do you need something from me?”

Collin grinned, meeting MacCready’s eyes. “Mr. MacCready, I presume?”

“Robert Joseph MacCready, the one and only,” He gestured to his person and bowed his head. “I state again: do you need something from me? I am a busy man, you see, and I don’t have time for people who dawdle. Get on with it or get out,” He snapped. 

“From the looks of it, you might need something from me,” Collin raised an eyebrow, pointing over his shoulder at the door where the two men had disappeared. “Rather rude, don’t you think? Treatin’ a good lookin’ fella like you as if you’re dust under a rug,” Collin grinned. MacCreedy scoffed.

“Look, I don’t hire people to do anything, people hire me. So are you in the market for a mercenary or would you kindly like to leave my office, Mr. Slick?” MacCready folded his arms, looking more and more displeased with Collin as the seconds went by. 

“The name’s Lerone, Collin Lerone. Though, I think you’d enjoy meeting Mr. Slick.” Collin laughed heartily, but MacCready didn’t seem amused by his talk. “C’mon, Mac, lighten up. It sounds like you need to be the one to leave this office. It’s a little stuffy in here, don’t you think? How would you like to hit the open road?” Collin slid up to MacCready’s side, sliding a hand around his waist and grinning. 

“Are you hiring me to do a job or not?” MacCready asked punctuating each word for emphasis, dismissing the hand that Collin had placed on his waist. Collin whined. He was the second person to play hard to get today, and Collin was getting lonely having his advances shot down so quickly. He was getting more interested in MacCready in more ways than one as the conversation continued.

“Look, just travel with me. I’ve got 200 caps to make it worth your while, and I think you will enjoy it,” Collin dropped the act, his grin turning from cheesy to bargaining.  
“The price for my services is 250 caps,” MacCready pressed, narrowing his eyes.

“I will give you 175,” Collin flipped the cap off of MacCready’s head. “C’mon Mac, this is going to be the adventure of a lifetime, I promise. And, with the two of us, we will make triple that in a week. Don’t think of this as a job, but as a business venture. I get you work, you get me work, we both get caps, and maybe a little extra,” Collin grinned. This was the kind of easy interaction he could carry in his sleep. MacCready was obviously smart, and had been doing this a long time, not bad to look at either. With his knowledge and Collin’s charisma, they would be the wealthiest mercs the Commonwealth had ever had the pleasure of hosting. “We will live in luxury, Mackie, just you wait,” Collin handed him a bag of caps and motioned to the door. “Join me for a pint?”

“Gee, kid, you’re not hurting for cash are ya? Why on earth do you still need to earn more caps?” MacCready pocketed the bag of caps and shoved his hands in his pockets, following Collin to the bar. 

“That is for me to know, and for you to find out. Let’s just say that I’m a man with many people to provide for, and it takes caps to maintain respect and diligence from those who work for you,” He grinned to MacCready, who rolled his eyes. Positioning himself on a barstool so that the tail of his trench coat hung off the back, Collin signaled for Whitechapel to take their order. The old Mr. Handy puttered over, adjusting the small bowler hat that was perched on his head.

“Buying drinks for another chap, Mr. Lerone? Good to see your greediness gets you enough caps to blow on your cheeky lays here at my bar,” Whitechapel may not have had a face to show emotion, but his sarcasm was evident in his voice. Collin pressed his tongue to the back of his teeth. 

“I will gladly go somewhere else, if you don’t want my service,” He turned, motioning to the door to leave. 

“Wait, what did he mean, ‘cheeky lays’?” MacCready had perched next to him on at the bar, following the conversation with vigilant eyes, shifting his attention between the two.

“Just… keeping company while I travel,” Collin winked in MacCready’s direction, the man turning his attention back towards Whitechapel. “Now, what will you be having, Mr. MacCready?” He raised his eyebrows and folded his arms against the bar.

MacCready sighed and picked up a crude menu from the bar top. It took him a moment to decide, but once he scanned over the menu he grinned at Collin sheepishly and said, “I’ll have what he’s having.”

“Great! Two Sarsaparilla Specials, my good man,” Collin smiled at Whitechapel and then swiveled his chair to face MacCready once the bartender had puttered off to make their drinks. MacCready glanced at him with his eyes narrowed. 

“What the shit is a Sarsaparilla?” He asked, once again picking up the menu and reading it over. “That’s not even on the damn menu!” 

Collin pushed his glasses back up on his nose and crossed his arms, contemplating what MacCready had said before taking the menu for himself. “Well, I’ll be damned. You’re right. Then why on earth have I been ordering that this whole time?” 

“Who knows, but seriously, what’s a Sarsaparilla?” MacCready shifted in his chair, adjusting his hat on his head. Collin smiled, earnestly and caught up in the action. 

“Guess you’re just gonna have to find out,” He laughed, studying MacCready’s profile, the contours of his face lit just right under the blown out tungsten light of the bar. They were both silent for a while, until MacCready finally acknowledged Collin’s staring.

“I’m not… One of your ‘cheeky lays’, am I?” MacCready seemed uncertain, almost put off. He tapped his fingers against the bar, unwilling to meet Collin’s eyes.

“No!” Collin shifted back, catching his balance on the counter as he faltered from the chair. He was surprised at his sudden refusal to sleep with the mercenary, wanting to actually know who he was, despite the constant flirting up until this point. Collin caught the hair at the base of his neck in his fingers, carding through it nervously. “I mean, that is absolutely not what I intended by any of this. You’re somethin’ different, I guarantee it, Mac,” Collin stared at the bar counter where Whitechapel slid a drink into his field of vision.

“Okay,” MacCready nodded, shifting his eyes to catch Collin out of his peripherals. Whitechapel hovered there for a moment, watching the exchange. He made a dissatisfied noise and cleared his throat. 

“Two Sarsaparilla Sunrises,” He grated, mumbling under his breath as he puttered away.


	2. A Certain Type of Person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Collin actually has a decent friend who appreciates him for who he is. And she gives him some well needed advice and a bit of a rude awakening. Maybe with her help he wont be as hopeless as she thinks he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa! New chapter! Just Collin being a bit of a dumbass and a little banter between Collin and his best friend. She will probably show up throughout the story, considering they have a bit of a history.

“You got a place to stay?” Collin lead the way out of the bar, holding the door for a slightly over intoxicated MacCready. Either the guy couldn’t hold his liquor, or he was hiding things that were easier to forget with a free drink in his hand. MacCready fixed him with a cold stare, his brows knitting together at the middle. He scoffed. 

“’Course I do. Been livin’ here for long enough. Might as well make it permanent housing at this point,” MacCready let out a huff, rubbing a hand down his face. Collin caught him by the shoulders, steering him away from the bar.

“Alright then, love, why don’t you just let me walk you home to make sure you get there,” He slid his arm around MacCready, an unsteady smile curling over his lips. MacCready pulled away sharply. 

“I thought I made it clear that I don’t want none of your hospitality, Mr. Lerone,” MacCready caught himself on a lamppost, his eyes narrowed in Collin’s direction. Collin raised both hands in defense.

“Hey, Mackie, hold on. I wasn’t gonna do anything. Just wanted to look out for my new business partner,” He made his way closer to MacCready, approaching in the least threatening way possible. 

“Bullshit you weren’t. I know your type. You take but you never give, and I don’t want any part of that,” MacCready pushed away from the post. “I can find my own way home, thanks,” He scowled at Collin, and though Collin reached out for his arm again, MacCready stomped away with less than acceptable balance, and Collin watched him go. 

Collin rubbed a hand through his hair, standing under the only light on the street very much alone. He felt his stomach twist, he was anxious, and not knowing why made it worse.

 

He all but fell through the door of his hotel room, shucking his coat and tie onto the floor, un-tucking his button down shirt, and falling face first onto the mattress. His glasses dug into the bridge of his nose and he winced. The mattress smelled like stale water and dry semen, and he immediately flipped back over to face the ceiling. His heart pounded in his chest and he crossed his arms under his head. He tried to imagine how the place might have looked before the apocalypse ruined everything. The wood headboard with red fabric accents, popcorn ceiling sculpted into flower patterns, wallpaper fresh with crisp designs and plush carpet void of bugs and questionable other specks from the past owners of this room. He was sure it would have cost a fortune to stay here 200 years ago. Part of him bet there was still some secrets here from the old world occupants. Collin allowed any thought into his head that would occupy the space that was being taken up by MacCready and his broken expression outside the bar. 

Collin ungracefully knocked his glasses from his nose and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. The static snow that filled his vision was a welcoming sensation, his heart pounding all the way up in his throat. He felt the urge to leave the room, run out and search for MacCready even though he had no idea where the guy was staying. His desires pulled him from the bed and towards the door, on auto pilot down into the lobby. 

Alexa, the resident synth, was sitting right where Collin wanted her to be. He slid up behind the couch, throwing his hands over the back and leaning in to whisper in her ear. “Good evening, my dear, our special tonight is me. What will you be having?”

She laughed, throwing her head back and smacking him in the jaw with the back of her hand. She folded up the book she was reading and set it beside her on the couch. “Well I’m definitely not having the special then. God, gross, you reek of alcohol. Have you been drinking all night?”

“Harsh. I thought we had something here?” Collin grinned, hopping over the back of the couch and sitting next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and making kissing noises next to her face. She pushed against him, trying to scoot him away, cackling loudly. “And whether I’ve been drinking or not is none of your business.”

“Collin, stop! You’re disgusting, this is basically incest.” She grinned, letting out a few last laughs. He put up his hands in defeat, sliding away from her.

“Alright, sugar. Your loss.” 

“’Loss’ my ass. I would say not falling for your shit is more of a gain.”

“Fair enough,” Collin leaned back against the sofa cushions, letting out a huff. Alexa patted his cheek.

“So, what’s got you comin’ to me all depressed and bothered? Someone break up with you?” She turned to face him, swinging one leg up onto the couch and resting her head against her arm on the back cushions. She noted the absence of his glasses from his face. “Wait, did you even know it was me here or are you just sleazy enough to hit on random people while blind?” She smiled wide and Collin laughed.

“Nobody broke up with me because I couldn’t even get him to fall for me in the first place,” Collin threw up his hands.

“Wait, who?” She leaned forward, ready for the best gossip she had heard all day.

“Went to the bar lookin’ for work, found a guy who is so closed off he leaves literally everything to the imagination. Naturally, I’m curious, so I hire him to be a business partner and travel with me when I finally hit the road again.” Collin counted the events off on his fingers, ticking away until the end of the night. “Bought him some drinks, and he lashes out at me when I try and take him home,” An anxious smile tugs at the corners of his lips as he lets out an exasperated sigh. 

“So you hit on him and he’s just not interested. Why is that such a big deal?” Alexa frowned, thinking it was going to be news she would be able to spread to every corner of Goodneighbor and being sorely disappointed. “You hired him to work with you, not to sleep with you. Of course he brushed you off.”

“I thought I made my initial attraction quite clear beyond the business transaction,” Collin’s eyebrows pulled together as he glanced at Alexa letting his hands fall to his lap. 

“Well, maybe he just doesn’t like guys like you.”

“And what kind of guy would that be?” 

“Unabashed and horny 24/7.” 

Collin grasped at his chest, feigning injury. “I’m hurt that you think of me that way,” He threw his hand over his eyes, leaning back into the couch. Alexa smiled. “Alright, so what do I do?” 

“Well, what exactly do you want from him?” Alexa raised an eyebrow, clearly not ready to be the voice of reason in this situation. She brushed her jet black hair back away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. She folded her arms over one another and leaned her chin on them.

“I…” Collin thought for a moment, staring blankly in her direction. “I don’t actually know.”

“You don’t know, or you aren’t ready to admit it?” She grinned, knowingly. “Go get some rest. You’ve had a long day,” She turned back away from Collin and patted his knee. Alexa picked her book back up, flipping through the pages to the one that she had dog-eared earlier when Collin had first come to talk to her. “Not everything has to be no-strings attached, y’know. It’s okay to desire actual love for once.”

Collin stood from the couch slowly, running a hand through his short hair. “Yeah, thanks, Lex.” He crossed the carpet to the staircase once again.

 

When he flopped back down on the mattress this time, he allowed his face to be smothered by the putrid smell contained in its fibers. 

_“Look, just wanna do business with you. That’s all. Think you look like a real capable guy,” Collin topped off their drinks, glancing to MacCready, who had his eyes downcast, studying the colorful looking concoction before him. His body looked even smaller curled around the bar than it had when MacCready was facing the large men threatening him. Collin touched his shoulder, and MacCready scoffed._

_“You just being patronizing? Clearly your first impression of me wasn’t as such. You saw me as a damsel that needs saving, just like everyone else. I saw the way you were holding that gun, ready to jump in and be the hero,” MacCready took a long swig of the drink. Collin winced, worried the guy didn’t understand how much alcohol was in this Sarsaparilla Sunrise. But, clearly MacCready knew exactly what he was doing. Collin decided not arguing with him was the best course of action at this point._

_“What’d those guys want anyway?” He took a drink from his own glass, turning his whole body to face MacCready._

_“Me dead. What else do guys like that want nowadays?” MacCready laughed. Collin didn’t think it was funny. He frowned._

_“Well, I can’t have that. You’re workin’ with me now, and I’m gonna have your back so you don’t end up mince meat on someone’s doorstep,” He leaned closer to MacCready, feeling the sense of duty to protect him, though he did think that MacCready was absolutely able to protect himself. If the rifle that had been leaning against the wall behind him wasn’t just for show that is. Collin wondered if he would be up for a little raider hunting one day. He himself wasn’t half bad with a rifle._

_“You sure you really want to work with me? I’ve got more bounties on my head than a serial killer,” MacCready shifted his gaze to meet Collins, his eyes narrow, daring Collin to leap without looking. And leap he sure as hell did. He landed falling and tumbled head over heels in a string of words that dripped from his tongue like honey._

_“’Course I do. You’re a beautiful face who would be more than willing to kick my ass if I warranted it, and if I must say, that is the most alluring thing I’ve had the pleasure of sitting with in a long time. I’m gonna claim every bounty on your head because as of this moment you are mine,” He leaned in closer to MacCready’s face, running his fingers along a jaw dusted with scruff. Clearly, MacCready was too drunk to really digest what had been said because he just laughed._

_“Yeah, right. You’re something else, y’know that? Thought you were just in this for the business?”_

_“Are we not discussing business?” Collin smirked, MacCready brushed his hand away, raising his glass to his lips again._

_Collin’s tongue slid out to lick his lower lip, suddenly jealous of the glass that had the honor of feeling MacCready’s lips against it. Collin leaned into his hand on the counter of the bar, still turned to face MacCready on the chair as he watched the other man call Whitechapel over for another refill. “Hey,” Collin grinned, no malice in his voice and no intention to actually stop MacCready, “This is all on my tab, y’know.”_

_“Thought you were made of money, Mr. Slick?” MacCready grinned in his direction._

_“Well, I can’t deny that Mr. Slick is a money maker.” Collin shifted closer again, the feeling of something promising floating between them. Suddenly, MacCready turned away.  
“Then I’m sure Mr. Slick will have many more opportunities to make money in the future.”_

_Collin’s eyes widened, confused at the sudden refusal. He had seemed to be allowed to flirt all he wanted up until this point, even if it wasn’t clearly reciprocated. Had he crossed a line?_

The room around him seemed to spin, his head trying to go through every minute detail of their interactions. He suddenly sat up, stopping his thought process and resting his head in his hand. He groaned into his palm, trying to push all his thoughts away so he could get some rest. He should go find someone else who would gladly occupy the empty space beside him, take his mind off things and tire him out, but he didn’t want just anyone right now, he wanted MacCready, and that scared him. 

“Fuck.”


End file.
